Police said three people involved in a nefarious plot to steal thousands of dollars from a family inside a Queens home have been arrested.


What You Need To Know

  • Police said three people involved in a nefarious plot to steal thousands of dollars from a family inside a Queens home have been arrested

  • Investigators believe this to be a targeted attack

  • It’s unclear how the suspects may have known about the money inside and if they knew the victims

“Imagine being home with your family. Three armed men come into your house to rob you, kidnap your family,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.

Officials on Monday credited the quick action of police and the use of drone technology to swiftly arrest suspects in connection to an early Saturday morning home invasion in Little Neck.

The victims’ ages range from 1 to 72 years old.

New information about the invasion was released in a criminal complaint, which names Ryan Dash, Brandon Dash and Jone Smith as suspects.

They’ve been charged with several crimes including burglary, robbery and assault, according to the complaint.

“Three criminals are removed from the street, removed from this community, and they will have their day in court. And hopefully, we won’t see them anytime soon,” Chell said.

Police said as the men held up the family, one intruder appeared to have a gun, the other two are said to carry hammers.

During the ordeal, one victim called 911, according to officials. Before fleeing, officers said the trio stole $10,000 in cash, officials said.

According to officials, in the process, they are said to have injured two people and tied up several others in the basement.

But as the suspects made their escape, police were outside setting a perimeter.

“Drones played an intricate role in this operation,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry said.

In drone footage released by the NYPD, it shows who police say are the men leaving the victims’ home. They were arrested shortly after, about a block away, officials said.

“This is going to be implemented in areas that we see an uptick in crime. I’m looking to identify five more precincts in the city that we can put drones in,” Daughtry said.

Investigators believe this to be a targeted attack.

It’s unclear how the suspects may have known about the money and if they knew the victims.